The conditions at some St. Thomas housing communities are "unacceptable," Sen. George Goodwin said on Wednesday. Goodwin is chairman of the Housing, Parks and Recreation Committee.
During a tour of Donoe housing community, Goodwin said he "witnessed ceilings that were crumbling" and other dilapidated conditions. In fact, he said, some housing communities should be demolished entirely and rebuilt.
In a release, he called the problems facing public housing "staggering," though not insurmountable.
Goodwin will travel to Washington, D.C., this month, along with V.I. Housing Authority commissioners and staff, to attend meetings of the National Association of Housing and Urban Development. The meetings, which are held three times a year, draw members of Congress, HUD representatives and public housing officials from across the country.
Given the fiscal condition of the territory, Goodwin said, Federal funds would have to be obtained to rebuild the housing communities that are in the worst shape.
In related news, as reported by St. Thomas Source, HUD announced on Friday, Feb. 26, that there would be $2.4 billion available for communities in grants this year.
Click on the Community/Etc. section of St. Thomas Source for the full text of the HUD release, with a link to HUD's Web site.